[Part 1] What is Ichinoseki and Hiraizumi's "Mochi Honzen"? | Honzen cuisine made entirely from mochi

As symbolized by the word "omotenashi," deep consideration and meticulous consideration for others and guests is known as one of the virtues that characterizes Japanese culture.

It is well known that this spirit of hospitality is reflected in the way people are treated and served in the tourism industry, as well as in traditional cultures such as the tea ceremony and flower arranging, and is internationally recognized.

The specific contents of hospitality are diverse, but "food" and "cooking" can be said to be universal and extremely important themes.

Even today, "dining table diplomacy," food plays a major role in communication in international relations, and historically, hospitality cuisine has contributed to smooth negotiations at critical junctures.

Entertaining with such special dishes "banqueting ," and special menus for special occasions were available not only among samurai and nobles but also among commoners.

, there is a style called "honzen ryori" that has the formality of being used as a formal ritual in the samurai class

Although the meaning of the word has changed over time, it is the origin of the "kaiseki ryori" the "kaiseki ryori" that still commonly served as a course in Japanese cuisine today

has a local dish called "Mochi Honzen," which is made entirely from rice cakes

In this article, we will introduce Mochi Honzen, a hospitality dish that inherits the etiquette of the samurai class, from the Ichinoseki and Hiraizumi regions in southern Iwate Prefecture.

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What is the traditional "Mochi Honzen" of Ichinoseki and Hiraizumi?

Mochi Honzen is a local dish found in Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture, which is known as the "holy land of mochi" and "Japan's No. 1 mochi town," . It is a traditional Japanese dish called "honzen," made entirely from mochi.

A typical honzen meal consists of rice, soup, a simmered dish, pickled vegetables, and pickles, known as "ichijuu sansai" (one soup and three dishes), all served on one tray, but with mochi honzen, all dishes except the pickled vegetables and pickles are mochi dishes.

This area in southern Iwate Prefecture was once under the rule of the Sendai domain, and that there was a tradition dating back to the time of Date Masamune of pounding rice cakes and offering them to the gods on the first and fifteenth of each month .

Due to this background, the practice of serving mochi on a meal has continued for approximately 400 years, and it has been passed down as an important ceremonial food eaten not only on celebratory occasions but also on condolences.

It is said that in the past, common people did not have access to mochi dishes on a regular basis, but for guests coming from far away, whether for celebrations or condolences, the Mochi Honzen meal embodies the spirit of hospitality of first filling the stomachs of guests.

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Etiquette and how to eat mochi honzen

Mochi Honzen has been perfected as a very formal style of cooking, as the name "Honzen"

There are strict etiquette rules for both the host and the recipient, and the manners are a continuation of the ancient ceremonies of samurai and court nobles.

First of all, when enjoying this dish, "Otorimochi-sama" is essential.

The video above is a promotional video for Ichinoseki City's mochi, and "Otorimochi-sama" appears in a scene where a full meal of mochi is served at a junior high school.

The host must not only pay close attention to the overall flow of the meal and the state of the guests, ensuring that the banquet goes smoothly, but must also give a greeting to conclude the ceremonial meal.

Let's take the example of Mr. Sato Ikuo, vice chairman of the Mochi Food Promotion Council, as an example of such a speech by Otorimochi-sama.

Otorimochi's speech

・Opening remarks

"I would like to say to all of you, today is a beautiful day, with fine weather, making it a truly celebratory day. I am truly grateful that you have come all the way here. The traditional rice cake meal is considered the ultimate in hospitality in this region. It has been passed down that 400 years ago, both Date Masamune, the founder of the Sendai domain, and Tamura Ukyodayu used the Ogasawara style of setting the table and the Shijo style of menu. Today's meal has been prepared in accordance with that tradition. I hope you will enjoy it to your heart's content."

・ Closing speech

"To our honored guests and everyone else alike, I am very pleased that you have all enjoyed today's rice cake meal. Please also enjoy the hot water that accompanies it, and this will mark the end of the meal. Thank you very much to our honored guests and everyone else today."

In this way, the ceremony begins with thanking the guest for their visit, and then explaining the position and history of the Mochi Honzen meal.

The closing speech is a greeting at the end of the meal, and "zen no yu" refers to the etiquette of pouring hot water into a bowl and drinking it at the end of the meal.

Also, in the opening remarks,

"Today, I am very grateful to you, but I will give it to you in accordance with local customs."

The word "katamochi" is sometimes used to refer to hard mochi, and it is meant to be a humble expression, meaning that the mochi hardens over time, meaning that it is pure mochi with no additives.

The Otorimochi-sama bows his head with both hands on the ground while he delivers these speeches, and the guests also bow with their hands on the ground.

In response to this traditional and sincere host, guests must also follow the traditional etiquette. Next, let's take a look at how to eat a Mochi Honzen meal.

How to eat Mochi Honzen

Mochi Honzen has its own table manners, and you cannot just eat whatever you want from the tray.

The theory behind a typical main meal consisting of one soup and three side dishes is that pickles are placed in the middle, rice is placed in the front left, soup is placed to the right of that, a tsubo (a stew with little liquid) is placed in the back left, and pickled vegetables are placed to the right of that, but a mochi main meal is made up of mochi dishes except for the pickles and pickled vegetables.

In place of the rice are mochi with sweet , in place of the soup are mochi with soup (zoni) , and in the tsubo area are variously seasoned mochi dishes called "ryori mochi."

When eating mochi honzen, it is customary to first take a bite of namasu (pickled vegetables), which is usually made with grated daikon radish seasoned with sweet vinegar.

First, moisten your throat with this namasu so that the mochi doesn't get stuck, then pick up the bean paste mochi, the cooked mochi, and the soup mochi in that order with your chopsticks, and before moving on to the next mochi, eat the namasu to refresh your mouth.

Please note that you can have as many refills of red bean paste mochi and soup mochi as you like, but you generally cannot have as many refills of cooked mochi.

Pickled radish is served as a pickle, and you can eat it at any time, but be sure to save one piece for the end of the meal.

Once the meal is over, the aforementioned "zen no yu" hot water is poured into the bowl, and you use the remaining pickled radish to wipe it clean while drinking the water. After that, Otorimochi-sama gives a final greeting, and the main meal of mochi is complete.

It is a meal filled with high formality and warm consideration, evoking a relic from an era when hospitality meals were a ritual that followed proper etiquette.

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